Traverse City Film Fest to feature Elmore Leonard premiere, screenings on the water

11:40 AM, June 27, 2014

Former Michigan Gov. William G. Milliken, lower left, and filmmaker Michael Moore light the marquee during a ceremony at the Bijou by the Bay theater on Nov. 22, 2013, in Traverse City. / Keith King/AP

Detroit Free Press Staff Writer

The premiere of an Elmore Leonard adaptation starring Jennifer Aniston, a documentary on a presidential lookalike and a floating venue are some of what’s in store for this year’s Traverse City Film Festival, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary.

More than 200 films are on the lineup for the July 29-Aug. 3 event founded by Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Michael Moore.

Of the 10 venues offering screenings, one of them will salute the water that surrounds the city. “Movies on a Boat” will take filmgoers out into Grand Traverse Bay to watch a movie under the night sky.

“La Gran Familia Espanola,” the opening film, is a comedy from Spain with a topical spin. It’s about a wedding that unfolds during a World Cup soccer finals.

The festival will close with “Magic in the Moonlight,” the newest film from Woody Allen.

One of the more anticipated debuts will be the U.S. premiere of “Life of Crime,” the film version of the late novelist Leonard’s “The Switch.”

It’s set in the author’s hometown of Detroit and puts Aniston in the role of a suburban wife whose kidnapping leads to some unexpected twists. The cast includes Tim Robbins, John Hawkes, Mos Def and Isla Fisher.

There will be an eclectic array of feature films, documentaries and shorts, from “Bronx Obama,” the real-life story of a man whose life was changed by his resemblance to President Barack Obama, to “Rubber Soul,” which uses transcripts of interviews with John Lennon and Yoko Ono and actors playing them to comment on their relationship and celebrity culture.

Festival regular and board member Larry Charles of “Seinfeld” and “Borat” fame returns this year with a sneak peek of what he’s working on now.

Some of the new features focus on the festival’s commitment to involving as much of the community — and the world — as possible.

A new venue named the Buzz will offer free screenings daily at a Traverse City gallery. And another ambitious addition, Traverse City Film Festival Around the World, will involve people on seven continents simultaneously watching the same movie.

There also will be a fund-raiser for a Walk of Fame outside the iconic State Theatre, the main hub of the TCFF. The idea is to create a local version of Hollywood’s Mann’s Theater handprints, but with festival guests like Madonna, Susan Sarandon and John Waters.

Tickets for Friends of the Traverse City Film Festival go on sale July 13, with public sales starting July 19. For more information, go to TCFF.org.